The Independent National Electoral Commission has rejected a request by the Peoples Democratic Party to recognise the National Working Committee led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kabir Turaki, citing subsisting court cases and conflicting judicial pronouncements.
INEC, in a letter dated December 22 and addressed to Akintayo Balogun & Co, lawyers to the PDP faction backed by Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, said it could not take any administrative action that would pre-empt the outcome of ongoing legal battles over the party’s leadership.
The commission stressed that the matter remains sub judice, adding that it would not update its records to reflect any change in the party’s national leadership until all pending suits and appeals are finally determined.
“In the light of the pending suits, your request is prejudiced and cannot be acceded to until the determination of the pending appeals,” INEC stated.
The electoral body further said, “In obedience to the rule of law and subsisting court orders, the Commission is unable to recognise or update the list of national officers said to have emerged from the PDP National Convention of 15–16 November 2025.”
The rejection deepens the crisis rocking Nigeria’s main opposition party, which has been factionalised following the conduct of a disputed national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Recall that the Makinde- and Mohammed-backed faction of the PDP held a national convention in November, which produced Turaki and other national officers. The convention, however, was preceded by conflicting court rulings.
While some Federal High Courts in Abuja restrained the PDP from holding the convention over alleged breaches of the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act, an Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan cleared the party to proceed and directed INEC to monitor the exercise.
The convention triggered strong opposition from another faction of the party led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The Wike-backed group subsequently announced a parallel National Working Committee, Board of Trustees and National Executive Committee.
Following the convention, the Makinde-backed faction formally wrote to INEC, requesting official recognition of Turaki as the authentic national chairman of the party.
INEC’s refusal, however, signals that the electoral umpire will maintain the status quo until the judiciary resolves the multiple suits challenging the legality of the convention and the emergence of the rival party leaderships.
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